What a Difference 11 Hours Makes

Next Swims

Saturday/Sunday, 7 am, 8 am (Big Bay) and Noon (probably Big Bay)

SUNDAY 7 am - RETURN TO KLODE ONE WAY SWIM

Monday-Friday, 6 am and 5 pm (also Big Bay)
Last Swim: Friday, 5 pm at Big Bay
Water Temp: 54 per brick-o-meter, 55 per itch
Waves: 1-2 feet from the north (opposite direction from 6 am)
Clarity: crystal clear (again)
Air Conditions: high 80s, cooler downstairs
Kru: Itch, Brick, Mr. Bubble
Shore Support:  People with dogs (Civil Disobedience!!)

Quite a surprise to hear the itch-o-meter reading of 55 degrees - it was 64 this morning and I thought that was cold 🧊🧊  Water beautifully clear though - seems to be a consistent thing at Big Bay.  I swam north, Itch and Brick swam south and we both got back to the beach at about the same time.  

Killepitsch Toast - It's been a good season!

KLODE UPDATE

Itch, Synchro and I swam at Big Bay on Thursday at 5 pm (water was 65 then).  Synchro told us that she went to Klode before coming to Big Bay, and found that almost nothing had been done on the construction project.  Only thing completed by Thursday was spray painting the areas where gas mains were buried.  I went up to Klode after our swim and sure enough, that's all that had been done so far.  Beach was still open, parking lot still open, no sign of a construction project.  

So, I ran up to Klode after swimming tonight and discovered that, like the water temperature at Big Bay, a lot had changed in the Klode parking lot in the last 24 hours.  The parking lot is still open, but now some of the parking spaces are filled 

Can't imagine there will be any construction going on at Klode over the weekend, so that's why I'm proposing a Return to Klode One Way swim on Sunday.  Like last Sunday - I'll drive my van up to Klode with my bike in the back and park it there.  Then I'll bike down to Big Bay to start the one way swim. If anyone wants to join me, I'll shuttle them back to Big Bay. 

 

Our Radiant Souls

 Next swims: Monday-Friday, 6 am and 5 pm  (Big Bay??)

Saturday/Sunday, 7 am, 8 am (Big Bay) and Noon (probably Big Bay)

Last Swim: Fridday, 6 AM - AT BIG BAY

Water Temp:  63 

Waves:  smallish, from the south

Clarity: crystal clear

Air Conditions:  high 60s, more humidity than Thurs

Kru:  Showgirl,  Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Linda the Lamprey, Cindy, Lt. MJ, Rachel, Ala Mode, Mitch, Dragonfly

Shore Support:  Sunrise person on jetty

Another clear celadon pre-dawn underlined with fuschia.  We douse headlights to meet up in the dark.  Heading down the path we hear a light breeze stirring the waves around.  Sky light is on when we reach the stadium but sun not yet up.  

Tacitly we line up  single file, one person to 3 square feet of rock, away from the path spillout to make room for other beach users.  People drape their brightly colored towels over the wall as  flags for our return.

TTL takes the temp - 63 sounds cold!  Showgirl has more ice in her veins than I do these days.  Most people suit up.  Rachel tries it, comes back for a nifty sleeveless shortie wetsuit. I go skin with wetsuit sleeves only.

Cindy realizes she forgot her buoy, and takes off running back up the path.  Procrastinating, I try to wait for her but eventually get sucked in by the seductive pull.  There are rocks a long way as you wade out, so I dive (shallower than at Klode) and head out past the jetty.

What is it we are starting to like about Big Bay?  Well, it is Big.  And open.  Massive bright white rock walls line the castles along shore.  Leaving our launch point, you go out past the jetty, then past a wall, then a long zig-short zag staircase,  then a blasted dirt hill, waiting for sod apparently, then a very tall clearly expensive wall, then a wall with a lovely greensward.  Beyond that (which I didn't go) the big white walls give way to a lower wall like we are more familiar with, marking the beginning of the Point.

Though there is some up and down, the water is very clear and the surface very calm.  I can see and hear other swimmers from a long ways away.

Sun does not rise til after I've turned back, it's back
over my right shoulder and heading further south every day.  But light cuts through the water and reflects expansively off the rocks.

Where IS that jetty?  MJ nearly crashes into it - "but there were some warning rocks" she recounts adding that she "portaged over" the jetty.  I prefer to give it a wide berth - oh, say 150 yards.  Then a sharp left to hone in on the bright signal towels, now a very long way away.

Coming in to shore is different from Klode - I try to skim over the rocks as far as possible before finding my feet.  Standing up is always interesting.

Back at stadium, we compare notes.  I am shivering so hard that getting dressed is a puzzle - my belongings seem to acquire more and more sand - with the soft sound of the waves and the cinematic sun almost magnifying us, lighting us head to toe, I have a sense of us as radiant souls, arrayed in a row.

The left turn (outer line):  

South is the new North

Next swims: Monday-Friday, 6 am and 5 pm  (Big Bay??)

Saturday/Sunday, 7 am, 8 am and Noon

Last Swim: Thursday, 6 AM - AT BIG BAY

Water Temp:  66 or 65... 

Waves:  small out of the south

Clarity: crystal clear

Air Conditions:  low 50's

Kru:  Showgirl,  Linda the Lamprey, Dragonfly, Mr. Anonymous, IceDog, (and later) Magic Mike and HandymanHank

Shore Support:  woman with fancy camera

It was dark enough this morning that I heard Dragonfly and Linda before I saw them.  Moondog was already on the (teeny tiny) beach when we arrived, and Mr. A rolled in shortly after.

We set up shop on the stair things.

The small waves out of the south told us that we should go....... south.  And so we did.  

The south shoreline used to be mostly un-interesting, but now there are all sorts of cool things.  More epic rock walls, tiny houses, kayaks, staircases galore, along with some interesting underwater rock piles.

It pains me to acknowledge that the water temperature is dropping, but the mid-60's is still easy to go wetsuit-free.

This weird late-season move to Big Bay is kind of awesome.  We were trying to pinpoint what we like about it.  It's cozy.  It's less crowded.  The concrete stadium seating is cool. There are no Wim Hoffers.... explanations abound.   We will be there tomorrow.

Flat Rock, we love you

Next swims: Monday-Friday, 6 am and 5 pm  (Big Bay??)

Saturday/Sunday, 7 am, 8 am and Noon

Last Swim: Wednesday, 6 AM - AT BIG BAY

Water Temp:  High 60's (TTL took a temp, I just don't remember what it was)

Waves:  a bit out of the north

Clarity: crystal clear

Air Conditions:  cooler than the water

Kru:  Showgirl,  Luna Laguna,Dragonfly. Linda the Lamprey, Lt MJ, AlaMode, Lydia the Tatto'd Lady

Shore Support:  guy anticipating a serene sunrise..... until we got there

The sunrises are beautiful at Big Bay, too.
(photo TTL)

The construction at Klode has thus far not started, but we've moved our base of operations south to Big Bay, and it's pretty awesome.  Maybe it's just fun to go somewhere different?

With a few disparaging words about the a-hole parking restrictions on Palisades, which seem to be designed to thwart fun of any kind, we made our way down the ramp. With almost no beach, we got ready using the concrete stairs as shelves for our stuff.  We swam north into the small waves.

There was no agreed-upon plan that we would swim to flat rock, but... that's where we all went.  We got there, performed the always-delightful, self-congratulatory stand-up, and began swimming back.

Back on shore, we all agreed that it was a fantastic swim from start to finish, including MJ's first visit to Flat Rock.

Farewell to Klode Swim 0700 Sunday

 Last Swims: Saturday, 9/11 @ 0700

Next swims:

Sunday, 9/12 @ 0700 - Come join me for a farewell to Klode swim

Usual Sunday - 0800 and Noon

Monday-Friday, 0600 and 1700

Following Saturday/Sunday, 0700, 0800 and 1200

Water temp: 66 per mitch-o-meter

Air temp: 66 on arrival,

Swell: smooth with gentle swells up to 4"

Clarity: almost perfect, 9/10.  Could see bottom

Kru:  Mr. Bubble, Magic Mike and fellow SHS pedagog Ms. Mooney

Tardy:  Handyman Hank, followed by Diablo doing pullups in the park

Everyone reading this has probably heard that Klode Beach will be closed for 4 weeks starting this Monday, 9/13.  That's when they'll be doing the Klode Park Beach Restoration and Shoreline Stabilization Project.  Depending on the weather, it could potentially be closed for as long as 7 weeks.  

So, I thought it would be fitting to have some kind of official send off on Sunday - a southerly migration.  I'll be doing a one way swim from Klode to Big Bay, and hoping some of you will join me.  I'll be prepared to shuttle any other one way swimmers from Big Bay back to Klode.  

My plan is to drive my bike in my van over to Big Bay Park, park the van there and then bike up to Klode, arriving by 7 am.  I'd like to start swimming that early to avoid having to deal with any boaters.  I think the swim from Klode to Big Bay is something like 1.2 miles?  Once everyone has arrived at Big Bay, I'll load people up in my van and head back to Klode.  

The one gotcha with all this is that I'm a pretty slow swimmer compared to the rest of the Kru.  I can do a 51 minute mile in light choppy conditions.  So, to avoid a long wait at Big Bay Park, you might want to give me a 10 or 15 minute head start.  Or just arrive at Klode later and start later.   

In other news...don't believe any rumors you hear about someone calling 911 on a slow swimmer who was out in the big waves last night.  However, there is truth to the story that someone left their car keys on the barrier wall last night, right next to where I usually set my backpack.  The keys were still there this morning.  

Fitting musical accompaniment:  So Long, Farewell, from Sound of Music, circa 1965

Rare Lake Michigan Whale Captured in Klode Kru Photo

(photo compliments of "Other Dave"...photographer unknown)

 Next Swims:  

   M-F: 6am & 5pm 

   Sat-Sun: 7am/8am/Noon

Last Swim:

   Monday September 6th @ Noon

      Water Temp:  69+ (much warmer in most spots)

      Air Temp:  mid 70's & lots of sun

      Waves:  slight chop rolling in

      Clarity:  delightfully clear away from shore

      Kru:  Diablo, Itch, Moondaug, Brick, Linda the Lampre, Other Dave, Peaches, Ziggy, Synchro, The Angry Skipper (formerly Wade), Hollywood (formerly Abby), She Who Likes it Rough (formerly Caroline), Kim, Capt'n

Upon uploading Other Dave's Klode Kru photo from this afternoon I couldn't help but notice the strange object in the upper left hand corner of the picture.  Could it really be? A whale breaching the surface of the lake?!?!  Dar she bl....oh, wait a minute....that's just a seagull...oops.

(...original blog post title...)

An Absolute Perfect Labor Day Weekend to Swim....Party...and Proclaim Nicknames!   

WOW...what a sensational weekend of swimming we had!  I can't ever remember a Labor day weekend  where the water temps were consistently on the plus side of 70 Friday thru Monday.  Sunday's noon swim also featured flat water and air temps in the 80's.  To celebrate the extraordinary swim conditions our PM swims were all capped with double rounds of Pitch.  While the double toasting phenomenon has been known to happen on occasion I'm not sure it has ever happened 4 days in a row...following swims with water temps above 70...in September.

Highlighting our amazing weekend of festivities was a fiesta at Synchro's Sunday evening.  Many thanks Synchro & The Angry Skipper for hosting!  I particularly enjoyed the rum punch.,,,and Itch REALLY enjoyed the potato salad (BRAVO!)

Following Monday's noon swim the following Proclamations were made:

"Hear ye, hear ye....let it be know that from this day forward our Klode Kru mate formerly referred to as "Abby" shall now be known as "Hollywood".  So it has been proclaimed, so shall it be known!"

"Hear ye, hear ye....let it be know that from this day forward our Klode Kru mate formerly referred to as "Wade" shall now be known as "The Angry Skipper".  So it has been proclaimed, so shall it be known!"

"Hear ye, hear ye....let it be know that from this day forward our Klode Kru mate formerly referred to as "Caroline" shall now be known as "She Who Likes it Rough".  So it has been proclaimed, so shall it be known!"

More pictures from this weekend....

What a difference a day makes!

Last Swims: Sunday, 9/5 @ 0700, 0730 and 0800
Next swims:Sunday, 9/5 @ 1200 (can I get a witness?)

Labor Day Monday - 0700, 0800 and 1200

Tuesday-Friday, 0600 and 1700
Following Saturday/Sunday, 0700, 08 00 and 1200

Water temp: 68 per mitch-o-meter

Air temp: 61 on arrival, 69/70 on departure

Swell: flat as glass

Clarity: very clear, put not perfect.  Could see bottom, but not the texture

Kru

0700 - Cindy B, Sunny Laguna, someone who said good morning to me in the water who I didn't recognize, Lydia TTL (think that was her car in the parking lot), Linda the Lamprey (think that was her bag on shore), maybe another one or two.  

0730 - Mr. Bubble, Jenny and Moondoggie

0800 - Handyman Hank, Kim G, maybe some others I can't remember

Parking Lot Support:  Some folks training for IMWI, Jenny knew one of them

Photo Credit:  Jenny

Yeah, I know, "What a difference a day makes" is totally cliché.  But it was the absolute truth this morning.  It was radically different than the last two days of rough, dirty water.  (NB- on Friday at 5, I called it 70 and dirty, and Itch said that made him think of his grandmother).  Needless to say, very welcome change this morning.

So, I was ambivalent about swimming this morning, after the last two rough, dirty days.  Then Jenny sent out a group text asking "Anyone swimming this morning at 8?".  That's the time I been thinking about swimming, so I replied sure, I'll go.  It was a little before 7 at the time, and Cindy was already on the beach, waiting for the 7 am cool kids to arrive.  Jenny wanted to get in the water as soon as possible, so she texted me when she was on her way and we both got there little before 7:30.  We got to exchange greetings in the water with Sunny, Cindy and the other friendly lady who were coming back as we were going out.  On the way back, we got to exchange greetings with the folks who were heading out at 8.  

Don't think the cliché will be applicable tomorrow - looks like conditions will be pretty much the same as today.  

Musical accompaniment - Day by Day from the musical Godspell, circa 1971

Day by day, oh, dear Lord, three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly, day by day

Day by day, day by day
Oh, dear Lord, three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly, day by day

Weekend mornings are awesome

Next swims: Sun. & Mon. at 7am, 8am, and noon; T-F 6am and 5pm

Last swim: Saturday 7am, 8am

Air temp: mid 60s

Water temp: 71/72...Mr Bubble came and took the temp, but, as the rest of us were all coming in from having swum, he did not audibly report the temp. But it was the kind of warm that makes you want to stay in the water for a while after the swim. You know its chillier out in the air than it is in the water! I think this is the first time I've written a friggin' paragraph by way of reporting the water temp. 

Waves: 2 ft swells

Clarity: None in the cove (2/10), moderate clarity (7/10) out in the open water.

Kru: DragonflyRiffraff, Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Luna Laguna, Showgirl, two training triathletes at least one of whom has swum with us before, Magic Mike, a nice woman I've spoken with a couple of times without internalizing her name (sorry), 8am shift: Mr. Bubble, Kim.

I had missed three days of swimming prior to this morning. It felt like a month. Happy to be back in the water. I was reluctant as I headed to the beach. It was cloudy, there had been some pretty active waters in the second half of the week. I wasn't sure what I'd encounter in the way of water conditions. But, as many of us know, that reluctance dissipates pretty fast when you get around your friends who swim. It's not exactly peer pressure, more like inertia. This is what we're all here to do, we enjoy doing it. Why was I even thinking of not swimming? So I swam.

And the reward. Some nice waves coming from the southeast: predictable, fairly large, kinda fun. These made the southerly swim a bit of a challenge. They made the return trip pretty darned nice. Water was generously warm. We are swimming at the end of the first week in September and it's still over 70. Not unheard of by any means. But still, really nice. 

I swam out (south) before others got into the water, unsure of whether the consensus was to swim south or north. So, after a few hundred yards, I stopped and looked back to determine whether I was alone in swimming south or not.  Unbeknownst to me, Megan was right at my elbow. She greeted me in her typically friendly way, scaring the bejesus outa me. I tried not to reveal that reaction. I love the way, as often as we swim, and as familiar as we feel in the water, we can still be thrown for a loop. The waves and my expectations had hid the fact that there was a swimmer right near me, even when I was looking for swimmers.  Weird and delightful. 

The noon swimmers are all just making their turn as I write. I hope to see as many as possible up in the Falls tomorrow! Thanks Synchro.

Happy Labor Day weekend.

Eureka, Flat Rock!!

 Next swims: Monday-Friday, 6 am and 5 pm

Saturday/Sunday, 7 am, 8 am and Noon

Last Swims: Friday, 6 AM

Water Temp:  69 per Forger's toe-mometer, warmer away from the rocks

Waves:  swells from the south

Clarity:  "salt-water clarity" per Mermaid Princess - maybe 5 out of 10

Air Conditions:  low 70s

Kru:  Showgirl, Mermaid Princess, Luna Laguna, Forger, Dragonfly.  Handyman Hank on late shift

Sea Support: one barge with a team shovel, perhaps heading to Mt. JackA**
Shore Support:  Deceased seagull, I didn't get too close

After some discussion, we swam South, straight out past the rock then turning right to avoid the bright green algae slicks.  It had been awhile for most of us heading South.  Just as we cleared the rocks, a dramatic red sun peeped up over the horizon, flattened by a layer of cloud.

The water was surprisingly warm, so we kept going, past picnic table/staircase, Love Rock/staircase, Sewer Pipe, new Rockwall, Newer Rock wall.  It was getting to be 1,100 yards and I thought about turning, but know there's often a turning-point meetup and I wanted to find it.  

Then I heard shrieks! At first my lifeguard instincts kicked in and I thought, "A child is in trouble!  How will I get there in time?" and had a bad moment.  Then I realized it was probably my friends, and sure enough, was that someone standing up out of the water in a most improbably Flat Rock fashion?  I churned a few strokes further.  It was!

Sunny Luna Laguna was up on Flat Rock, Mermaid Princess climbed up beside her.  I struggled to find purchase - 

"Slippery Rock."

"They don't call it Safety Rock!"

"Danger Rock!"

The three of us waited for Showgirl, who had veered pretty far offshore.  Although both air and water were quite warm, my legs started to shiver uncontrollably.

"I wish someone would bring me a hot towel," MP commented.

Showgirl arrived and the four of us stood in triumph, noting as carefully as we could the V-shaped tree on shore that marked the location; a couple dozen yards to the north was a corner of concrete walls.  I realize these descriptions are not very precise!  But when you see them, you will know what I meant!

The return trip was long but pleasant, I tried not to overtax myself.  

Right before the rocks, the water turned suddenly dark.  A pop-up weather event?  No, I had just blundered into the algae slick.  Fortunately it was pretty narrow at that point.  

Not as weird as Thursday when, kicking while treading water, the sole of my foot made contact with something that felt warm....and like skin....Mr. Bubble?  No, there was no one around me.  I shrieked!  And Tattooed Lady shrieked!  "Let's get out of here!"  She speculated a fish.  Are fish warm?  I saw a half-filled balloon on the surface.  Maybe a balloon?  But it was warm....a mystery...

See you all at Syncho's on Sunday!

Wave Riders

Next swims: Monday-Friday, 6 am and 5 pm

Saturday/Sunday, 7 am, 8 am and Noon

Last Swims: Tuesday, 5 PM

Water Temp:  69

Waves:  3-4 footers

Clarity:  nope

Air Conditions:  60's

Kru:  Itch, Moondaug

Sea Support: one kite boarder

Body surfing/swimming the voluminous windy 3-4 footers- fun, fun, fun, and they are also a great shoulder work out.  Just be sure to know your currents( https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/03coastal2.html ).  Sea support was one kite boarder who couldn't seem to get going. 

While swimming to Mudslide we noticed the crane is back around the Dino Drop.  Are more walls coming, and if so, how will this affect beach area and wave formation?  It would be a bummer not having beach to retreat to in case of emergency. Anyone know about the  building permits and DNR permission for these projects?

Perfect Storm (not really)

Next swims: Monday-Friday, 6 am and 5 pm

Saturday/Sunday, 7 am, 8 am and Noon

Last Swims: Wednesday 6am

Water Temp:   Low 70's 

Waves:  4 footers?

Clarity:  nope

Air Conditions: 70 ish

Kru:  Dragonfly, Lydia the TTL, Capt'n, Laguna Mike, Mermaid Princess, Cindy, Showgirl, Diablo (early)

***Read earlier blog posts about Synchro's party this Sunday!!***

Photo TTL

We could hear the waves from the parking lot, which, if you like to swim in flat water, isn't the best sound.

But we headed to the beach.  Cap'n took a temp, and the warm water convinced us to give it a try.

Laguna Mike launched while we were still chatting on the beach.  The rest of us buckled on our barbies and made our way in.  At first we swam pretty far out and just chatted, enjoying the big waves.  Occasional breakers spiced things up.

This is how it looked

But this is how it felt

Ultimately, MP and Cindy headed north for some actual swimming.  TTL, Dragonfly, and I went to sewerpipe and turned around.

Cap'n and Laguna Mike did longer swims.

The swimming was actually pretty great, in a super-wavy sort of way.